Piano casing



y 7, 1949. w. ZAISER 2,470,674

PIANO GAS ING Filed Nov. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l M n IHEHHIIIIIIHJIIII III m i l 22 v l l l/l I I l I l v 23.

May 17, 1949. w. ZAISER 2,470,674

PIANO CASING Filed NOV. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, 1949 PIANO CASING William Zaiser, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Chicago,

111., a corporation Application November 4, 1944, Serial No. 561,877

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a piano casing of novel construction particularly applicable to the so-c'alled miniature upright pianos.

One object of the invention is to provide a casing of such structure as will emphasize and make possible an unusual design and particularly permit of the keyboard being set above the level of the table or rim arm to effect a low, fiat cascadelike appearance of the table involving different levels, such as the three levels herein illustrated.

One feature of the invention resides in the construction of the fall board, which comprises one level of the cascade table effect and wherein the exposed keyboard may be completely enclosed thereby, both along the front and ends thereof.

Another feature of the invention resides in the mounting upon the upper level of the casing an adjustable music rack capable of both vertical and horizontal adjustment. Thus the music rack may be set to accommodate variations in sight and physical makeup of the player.

Other features of the invention will be made to appear from the following specification and drawings.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the upper portion of the piano casing with the key bed enclosed by the fall board.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the piano casing showing the keys exposed and varying positions of the music rack illustrated in full and dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the upper part of the piano casing with the forward portion broken away to illustrate the relation of the key bed and fall board to the table elevations.

Fig. 4 is a section through a portion of the piano table and fall board.

In the drawings there is illustrated an upright piano casing of the miniature type, having a desk portion mounted upon a lower base portion H] including the forward legs H. The desk portion is cascaded to provide a lower tier or table portion I2, a raised tier or desk portion l3 and an upper tier or rear portion l4, each of said portions being offset inwardly from the lower to the upper. The table portion includes the rim arms 12a formed at each end thereof with an intermedi ate key bed l provided with a front panel IS. The keyboard I1 is supported upon the bed so that the keys are exposed and lie in a plane above the rim arms and front panel it of the table por- 2 tion and within the intermediate tier or desk portion 13.

The key bed is mounted upon the keyboard in the usual manner, including the key stop fastening straps I8, to extend rearwardly under the desk portion l3 of the desk for operative connection with the usual piano action.

Slidable above the table l2, the rim arms and front panel I6, there is provided a fall board l9 having a front fall 20 hinged along the forward upper edge thereof. The fall board [9 is provided with end panels 2| carrying gliders 22 for supporting the fall board in sliding engagement with grooved tracks in the upper edge of the table [2 or the rim arms thereof. When in closed position the fall board completely encloses the exposed keyboard, both the front and ends thereof, and comprises a forward continuation of the intermediate tier or desk portion l3. The fall board is retractable to open position by raising the front fall 20 about its hinged support and sliding it rearwardly under the desk portion [3 until the fall 20 seats within the forward recess thereof. When in this position with the keyboard exposed, the fall 20 becomes a part of the desk portion with the ends 2| and the fall board [9 concealed therein.

For further giving the effect of a fiat cascaded desk, the upper tier or rear portion I4 is provided with a sloping mirror 23 along the front base thereof. This has the optical effect of flattening out and rendering less apparent this portion of the casing.

Supported on top of the piano casing to extend outwardly over the rear portion Hi, there are a pair of spaced supporting brackets 24 of tubular form. A horizontally projecting supporting rod 25 is slidably mounted to telescope within the brackets 24, said rods having forward downwardly sloping portions 26. The music rack 21 is supported upon the portions 26 of the supporting rods for sliding adjustment relative thereto. For this purpose a decorative knob 28 is provided on each of said portions 26 for adjustably securing the music rack in different vertical positions thereon, whereby the rack, by loosening the knob 28, may be slid to a lower position at the angle of the portions 26 or raised to an upper position as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Similarly the rack may be adjusted horizontally by sliding the rods 25 with respect to the tubular brackets 24 to varying horizontal positions as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thus, by means of this adjustable structure of the music rack the player of the piano may be accommodated both as to vision and height.

The invention claimed is:

In a casing for upright pianos a lower table portion, a cavity type portion of substantial depth comprising rim arms at each end thereof having a key bed therebetween substantially within the level of saidcawitytype portion, an -elevated deck portion above said table portion and stepped inwardly therefrom, a rear portion stepped inwardly and upwardly from said deck portion, and a keyboard supported by said key bed in a plane above the level of said table portion substantially within the level of the deck portion.

REFERENCES crmn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 

